The Future of Food: Food tech – a blessing or a curse?

There is no doubt food technology innovations such as bio-innovation, gene editing, robotics and AI, will dramatically reshape how we produce, manage and demand food. However, their effects are likely to be unevenly distributed.

Countries and farmers who can afford to ride the food tech wave will prosper whilst others will fall further behind. The impact of the tech revolution could, unintentionally, lead to an even greater divide between the ‘haves and have-nots’ and exacerbate inequality in availability, access and affordability of food.

Although likely, this scenario does not have to play out. We have a choice. Government, businesses and society can, collectively, create a world where technology is instead used to narrow the gap. One of the critical enablers for this new future will be increased market connectivity. In order for innovation to scale, markets will have to foster collaboration and actively create and support open source platforms. This will not be an easy task, especially in today’s world where geopolitical dynamics are demonstrating nationalist and isolationist tendencies, as evidenced by recent events and elections in the United States and Europe, which may impact trade agreements and international collaboration.

To tackle inequality and to allow technology to bridge the divide, now more than ever, governments and international bodies will need to find ways to collaborate and keep data and innovations open and accessible to all. Technology can then become the true driver of sustainability. It can ensure human sustainability by creating smart ways to increase production yield and nutritional values. Secondly, it can enable sustainable production (precision farming) and preserve our critical natural resources such as water. And lastly, technology can be a game changer for the sustainability of the sector by attracting talent.

One of the biggest challenges in western society is the lack of people, particularly the younger generations, who choose a career in farming. This is a serious threat to this sector with many aging farmers facing situations with no one to hand their business over to. Smart farming however could change that perception, alter the lens on sector attractiveness, and make farming sexy again.

Technology, fostered in the right way, can become the blessing this world needs to overcome the challenge of feeding the growing population and addressing important issues, such as inequality in access to nutritious food. But how and to what extent technology is harnessed, rests with us. Here are our suggestions:

Governments

Embrace market connectivity and international trade with provisions for responsible practices

With in excess of 12 years’ exposure to business transformation, ERP implementation and strategy consulting projects, Prasenjit is experienced expert in supply chain management and merchandising for the retail sector.

Vanessa is a strategy partner and national Consumer Products lead. With over 17 years’ experience working across Europe and the Asia Pacific region, she is an experienced strategy and operations professional. Vanessa has deep technical expertise in corporate and commercial strategy, turnaround/re...